Just a Bit Different
by LiteratureNerd100
Summary: When quite a lot is different in a world where there's no Dark Lord, there's no dark magic around, Harry Potter wears a Slytherin tie, and everything is at peace, that is until the Boy-Who-Lived and his two best mates accidentally end up there and start uncovering secrets that were probably better off buried. AU Time and dimension travel fic
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The Muggles who happened to find themselves at Kings Cross Station before 11 o'clock on the 1st of September each year would often wonder about the strange sorts of people that would arrive, many of them simply disappearing. Not that there was anything particularly strange about the people themselves, rather, they were men and women dressed in oddly thick cloaks, and strange robes that brushed against their ankles. Even the children, many of them dressed in school uniforms, all of them the same but with different colours, some with green and silver, others with red and gold, blue and bronze and yellow and black, and then a handful of younger ones with plain black. The children too wore strange robes, seemingly part of the uniform, and carried heavy cloaks, and pointed hats. They had owls, real live owls (that made a terrible racket), sat in cages, and cats in wicker basket, or some that merely followed their owners around on their own four legs, and a few even carried toads. They had strange looking broomsticks, and heavy trunks and an awful lot of them walked around with funny looking sticks in their hands. All these odd people seen in the station on September 1st seemed to head towards platforms 9 and 10, however those few curious people who did follow them found them to disappear into thin air when they got their. They didn't board the trains, and there was no other exit. It was like magic.

On September 1st of 1994, a wet, windy and altogether rather miserable Sunday for the commuters of London City who were being drowned in the downpour, a tall, fit young boy of 14 joined the throngs of strange people pushing trollies towards platforms 9 and 10. His luggage consisted of the large, heavy trunk, a funny looking broomstick and a huge snowy owl asleep with its head under its wing in a large silver cage. He was dressed in a school shirt and trousers, but lacked the robe and tie adorned by some of the teenagers around him to whom he shouted and laughed with amongst the people jostling past them. He was somewhat muscular, normal height for a boy his age, with jet black hair that was a total mess and bright green almond shaped eyes behind round glasses. As Harry Potter approached the barrier with the others around him he was laughing, and to those Muggles who may have been looking too close, he seemingly disappeared.

In reality Harry found himself on platform 9 ¾, staring up at the large scarlet steam engine before him. There was a lot of smoke in the air, mixing with the sounds of parents chatting, students greeting each other and animals hissing and screeching just because they could. Glancing behind him briefly, Harry smirked as two men came stumbling through the barrier, both of them out of breath.

"Trouble keeping up?" He asked innocently as the two men leaned over with their hands on their knees. The first one, youngish and ruggedly handsome glared at Harry.

"We're not all super Quidditch stars" he spluttered through the breathlessness "and I don't run in the rain!"

"Sure you don't Padfoot" the other man said, having seen the funny side in his recovery and was now laughing. He was slightly taller, tired looking, with worn out robes and scruffy facial hair, looking as though he hadn't slept very well the previous night.

"Come on then!" Harry said impatiently, steering the trolley down the platform, but stopping only short distance away, nearer the front of the train and looking around him. He craned his neck around the crowds of people, until finally a shout of "Potter!" came from a few feet away. Harry turned and his face split into a grin as his eyes fell on the pale, blonde figure of his best friend.

"Malfoy!" Harry launched towards him and the boys stopped in front of one another, as though sizing each other up. Then both smiled.

"How was your week without me? Tragic I imagine" Draco grinned arrogantly. Harry rolled his eyes and gave him a playful shove on the shoulder before turning to the grand, blonde couple stood behind Draco.

"Mr Malfoy" Harry nodded at him "Mrs Malfoy" he gave her a smile which she returned. Draco was busy greeting Harry's escorts, so Harry began to load his stuff off the trolly. A moment later him and Draco hauled it onto the Hogwarts Express onto the racks above a table in one of the carriages that served as a whole compartment. They jumped down back onto the platform to where their guardians were conversing and looked around them.

"Where's that cousin of yours?" Harry asked, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and rocking forward onto the balls of his feet.

"They're on their way last I heard" Mrs Malfoy spoke, looking around them. The platform was incredibly busy. Narcissa wrinkled her nose at a family nearby. The parents were clearly none magical and both had their arms locked tightly around their small daughter, apparently a first year, all of them bawling their eyes out. The Malfoy's were the sort of upper-class, pure-blood family who did not engage in such public displays of affection or emotional outburst.

"Here they are!" Sirius suddenly said and they all turned to watch as a family of three emerged from the smoke from the direction of the apparition points. A tall, slender woman came first. She was incredibly beautiful in an almost terrifying way, with a sharp jawline and high cheekbones, heady lidded violet eyes that seemed to pierce your very soul. She had thick shiny dark hair twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head and was dressed in an expensive yet effortlessly casual black dress and robe. She walked as though those around her were beneath her, and the crowd on the platform parted like the Red Sea as she walked through them, even those of non-magic birth sensing it would be wise to stay out of this woman's way. Behind her walked an equally imposing man, impeccably dressed in expensive black robes with wide shoulders, a strong build, a ruggedly handsome face and deep brown eyes, so dark they were almost black, his brown hair brushing his shoulders and he was sporting a clean but unshaven look. There was something quite terrifying about him as well, but the wizarding people in the crowds looked upon this couple with an enormous amount of respect as well as a margin of fear as they strode past them. The LeStrange family was one of the oldest in wizarding Britain, holding an enormous amount of power, influence and wealth, and the man, Rodolphus LeStrange was known for making many changes and decisions and changes within the Ministry of Magic that had greatly benefited both the wizarding government and world as a whole, along with generous donations to good causes and dealing in good, profitable business. His wife, Bellatrix, was also well respected, partly for marrying Rodolphus, partly because she was born into the ancient and noble house of Black, and partly because after graduating from school she had made a name for being a formidable and ruthless dueller. She was an incredibly skilled and powerful witch, and she had proved to the wizarding world that she was not one to back down or to be messed with on the few occasions that she had been crossed by unfortunate witches or wizards. She too conducted good business, and had a good reputation for it, however most of her time was dedicated to her development of ancient and rare magics that most magic folk were not powerful enough to begin to understand or attempt. Everything the LeStrange family dealt with was technically legal, and there were certain things that if you wanted, you only wanted them from the best, and the LeStrange's were the best, no matter how questionable or dark their line of business seemed to be.

Following the couple, with their reputation to live up to, was their 14 year old daughter, Elara LeStrange. She certainly had inherited her parents aristocratic good looks, with her mothers sharp features, slim frame and heavy lids. Her hair was long, thick, curling and a dark brown, with dark, shaped eyebrows and long thick lashes, all contrasting with her shockingly pale skin that was almost pure white. She had her fathers eyes, the almost black all seeing, but she was clearly very much her mother, her face holding an almost identical cold look of contempt, but the corners of her lips tugged into a smile when she laid eyes on Harry and Draco.

"Cissa". Bellatrix greeted her sister with a brief kiss.

"Bella" Narcissa smiled.

Elara stood before the boys, her arms folded across her chest. She was dressed also in just her school dress shirt and the black skirt, and she was leaning onto the toes of her smart black heals as though she'd like to throw her arms around Draco and Harry. However she had not been raised to do such things, least of all in public, so instead she gave them a brief hello before turning to greet her aunt and uncle and Sirius and Remus while the boys loaded her trunk and the wicker basket holding her black cat onto the train. When they returned to the platform it was 10:55.

"Well then pup" Sirius said cheerfully "I'll see you at Christmas."

A look of confusion crossed Harry's face. "But I thought we were staying at school because of the-" he was cut off.

"Oh I expect I'll see you all the same. Couldn't go a whole year without looking at your adorable face now could I?" He grabbed Harry in a bone crushing hug, ruffling his hair and causing Harry's cheeks to go red. Sirius may not have been a real parent, but as his godfather he did an excellent job of embarrassing Harry in public. When he was finally released Harry regained his composure and hugged Remus, not his godfather but basically the man who had made sure Sirius didn't accidentally kill Harry when he was small and being raised by a mad dog.

Meanwhile Narcissa kissed Draco on the cheek softly, smoothing out his shirt and hair, before embracing him tightly. "Write won't you" she said, "that's all of you. And make sure you work hard and behave yourselves. I'll have Severus report straight back home if the three of you are up to any more mischief. But have fun. It should be an exciting year after all." She smiled lovingly at her son before kissing her niece and hugging her tightly as well. Lucius embraced his son somewhat awkwardly, and kissed his niece, nodding at Harry all without a smile.

All this was done with a swiftness that attracted little attention. Elara kissed her father gently on the cheek and he kissed her hair, hugging her very quickly. Bellatrix was not exactly what you would call the maternal type. She neither hugged nor kissed her daughter goodbye, it wasn't common practice for the two of them. Still in a somewhat strange movement caressed her only child's hair and her face, her shoulders and arms. Then after stroking her face once more, gripped her chin in a gentle but firm hold. "Make me proud." It was delivered in the softest of whispers, as it had been on the platform every year before Elara boarded the train in September. Then she pulled her face away and let go, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off her robe. "Write. Every week."

Only those closest to her could have detected the tiniest hint of desperation in the order, the evidence that she really would miss her daughter.

"Of course" Elara nodded and stepped up into the train compartment, blowing a subtlest of kisses to her family as the whistle blew. The LeStrange's and the Malfoy's turned and headed towards the exits immediately, and Elara, Harry and Draco found their seats straight away. Neither party looked back at the other as the train pulled out of the station. They were not that sort of family.

 **So please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Some parts of this chapter - mostly Dumbledore's speech - were taken directly from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which I do not own and did not write. The rest is mine though, apart from the characters and the concept, the usual. I am not JK Rowling :)**

 **Chapter 2**

As soon as the train began to make its way out of London, thunder rumbling outside of it and rain pelting against the glass window panes Harry, Draco and Elara all adorned their silver and emerald green tied around their necks, along with their black sweaters before sitting at a table in the "communal" compartments at the front of the train, that took up whole carriages and consisted of tables with benches on either side of them facing each other lined each long side of the carriage. They were mostly only occupied by the Slytherins, as they were the most comfortable even if it did mean sharing, and they thought themselves better then the other houses and had had them claimed for generations.

Harry and Draco sat across from Elara, who opened the wicker basket and allowed a sleek black cat to stretch and jump out onto her lap. She lazily scratched it behind its ears and relaxed into the seat, leaning against the window outside of which was a grey, wet blur.

"So," she yawned "How was the World Cup?"

"Pretty amazing" Draco shrugged "We had seats in the Top-Box of course, right up next to the Minister. The players came up afterwards-"

"We actually got to shake Lynch's hand-" Harry joined the explanation and Elara watched them, happy to be heading back to school with her two boys. She herself hadn't been to see the game, having no love for the sport and her father being away for business when it had occurred and therefore there being no need to make an appearance. Draco and Harry, somewhat unfortunately in her eyes, were completely obsessed with it. Both owned state of the art racing brooms, Firebolts, and played for the Slytherin House Quidditch team, having won them the cup for the last four years and continuing Slytherin's winning streak. Together the two of them were the greatest pair of chasers Hogwarts had ever seen. Growing up, the two of them had spent hours fighting over who got to be the seeker, until Elara pointed out that they couldn't alternate as they usually wound up for the house team. So instead they changed their minds and began to work for a position that allowed them to work together rather then have them lose a friendship over who got to be the Slytherin seeker. Both had been too small to make decent beaters so they'd had to go with chasers and anyone who saw them play a school match wouldn't have known they'd settled. The two could execute flawless moves around one another, passing the ball back and forth and moving it from one end of the pitch to the other. The third chaser, Captain Marcus Flint, often joked that he was essentially unnecessary to his own team Draco and Harry could work together so perfectly. It had always been that way.

"Can you believe there's going to be no Quidditch this year?" Harry complained, more to Draco then to Elara, who had her nose buried in a book as the journey to Scotland dragged on.

"I know" Draco looked positively disgusted. "I'd get my father to complain but-"

"You don't want to be known as a pompous daddy's boy?" Elara asked sarcastically, not looking up from her book. Draco rolled his eyes. "It's worth it though, don't you think?" Elara continued, "To get to see it at Hogwarts."

Harry leant back in his seat. "Yeah I guess, should be pretty incredible. I heard at the last one they brought in a Chimera" they were speaking in lowered voices now, not wanting the other around them to hear.

"Pity they've raised the age restriction – I'd love to give it a try. Eternal glory would be pretty sweet" Draco smirked. The other two snorted.

"Hah yeah, I'd love to see you, doubt you'd last 10 minutes" Harry sniggered, earning himself a punch on the arm from the blonde boy.

"Who wants eternal glory anyway?" Elara asked, turning the page in her book and circling something, making a neat note on the edge of the page beside it.

"That's easy for you to say, you're a LeStrange" Draco dragged out the name, rolling it over on his tongue. Elara gave him a look.

"Indeed" she said, her face forming a cold, faint smile "I have no need for eternal glory, I can bask in the legacy left by the shady work of my parents."

The others laughed. "I never have clocked what sort of stuff your parents actually get up to" Harry said, raising his eyebrows "And it has never been confirmed if any of it is actually illegal"

Elara raised one of her own perfect eyebrows. "My father is the Minister's advisor. Nothing he does is illegal." But her mouth formed a proper smirk.

"Your mother is another matter entirely, of course" Draco pointed out. Elara rolled her eyes, said nothing and cast her eyes back down to her book.

The train rattled on towards Scotland, the rain keeping up the whole of the journey. Draco, Harry and Elara mostly stayed in their seats, their friends also sitting in the carriage rising from their places to say hello and catch up. The food trolly came by and the boys bought enough to keep them full until the feast that evening. They scanned once more over the books sent to them that year, speculated over the events coming to Hogwarts that year and the visitors they would be hosting, contemplating what kind of classes they would be gifted with and how much the workload would be increased in preparation for their O. . The three of them, like all Slytherins, worked diligently to get the grades that upheld the standards of their housemaster and parents. Almost everyone in Slytherin came from highly regarded families of their society, and therefore arrived in the house with reputations to live up to and most of them with great ambition to achieve things, which of course is what got them sorted there in the first place. There were no children of non-magical decent in Slytherin house, and within many of the older families there was a lingering prejudice against them, thinking they were unworthy of magic. However it was not an idea that was much tolerated in the wizarding world any more, so while the Slytherins found themselves weary of the Muggle-Borns, and rather irritated by their disinterest in adopting customs that had been held by powerful magical families for generations, they mostly treated them no different to other students in school.

Night had fallen by the time the train slowed to a stop in Hogsmeade station, the lightening brighter, thunder louder and rain heavier then it had been in London when they left. The three slid the black robes trimmed in silver with the serpent crest on the breast over their shoulders and placed their sleek black pointed hats on their heads, before securing their luggage and making their way to the exits where Prefects held the doors open. Draco went first, ducking his head from the rain, before offering his hand to Elara as she stepped down and immediately ruined her expensive shoes in a puddle. With Harry right behind them they swiftly moved to the carriages and found one occupied by only Daphne Greengrass and her younger sister.

"Astoria" They acknowledged her in greeting, not having seen her on the train. The carriage lurched forward, up the path towards the castle.

"Well I'm glad I'm not a first year" Draco said "Maybe we'll get lucky and the little sods will be drowned" Harry gave a short barking laugh, something he'd picked up from his godfather and always came back from summer with.

"You were just as irritating once" Daphne pointed out. Draco scoffed.

"I never!" He announced "I was delightful." There was some giggling from the girls at this and Harry fought to keep a straight face while Draco glared at them. "Whatever" he muttered, folding his arms like a sulking child.

"I hope the sorting doesn't take long" Harry said "I could eat a Hippogriff"

"They should really do the sorting after the feast" Daphne mused "People would be more engaged that way."

"All they'd all be half asleep" Elara pointed out with a raised eyebrow "And besides where would the first years sit?"

"It's bad enough trying to keep Potter awake through Dumbledore's speeches at the end, let alone trying to stop him snoring halfway through the sorting." Draco said.

After a few more minutes and bumping corners the horseless carriage drew to a stop outside the enormous stone steps of Hogwarts. The teenagers were mostly dry by this point, so moved quickly up the steps into the entrance hall as to avoid getting soaked again. Peeves, the castles poltergeist, was hanging upside down in midair throwing water balloons at the already drenched students below. The four Slytherins laughed as the cry of one of their peers, a Gryffindor Ron Weasley, came at them as he was hit squarely on the head. Professor McGonagall came running out of the Great Hall, shouting at Peeves and slipping on the wet floor, consequently almost strangling Hermione Granger, another one of their classmates. Peeves continued to throw the balloons but the Slytherins escaped the onslaught, mostly because not even the poltergeist was stupid enough to piss of Elara LeStrange who had inherited her mothers skill in duelling and magic, and could have you sprawled on your back on the opposite side of the room before you had time to blink should you give her a reason to. They took their seats at the Slytherin table amongst their friends, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Hayley Roberts, Benjamin Madison, Tracey Davis, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and the other Slytherin fourth years.

The sorting past painfully slowly for those hungry of the teenagers, but finally the last first year had taken their seat and Dumbledore said his random words, and then the feast appeared before them. They all ate in the enjoyable haze of being back together and home once more, shielded from the storm outside and safe in the warm glow of the thousands of candles suspended above them. Eventually everyone was finished and they all turned to the front of the Great Hall once more, as predicted many eyelids drooping and struggling to focus on their eccentric headmaster. He stood up at the podium before the high table and smiled at his students, eyes twinkling.

"Now that we are all suitably fed and watered I have a few notices before I send you off to bed" he said pleasantly. "Firstly is that fanged frisbees, screaming yo-yos and ever bashing boomerangs have been added to the list of forbidden items that can be viewed outside of Mr Filch's office, currently comprising of four-hundred and thirty-seven items. Secondly, a reminder to our new students, and a few of our older ones" his eyes lingered on the Weasley twins and a couple of second years, all in Gryffindor "that the Dark Forest is strictly out of bounds to all students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to students below third year, and that magic may not be used in the corridors between lessons. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch cup will not be taking place this year."

There was an uproar at this. The Gryffindors especially, because it was always the Gryffindors, started shouting in protest, although many students seemed to be too appalled to speak. Dumbledore held up his hand for silence, and in a moment the hall had settled, although there was still a low grumbling going around.

"This is because," Dumbledore continued "Hogwarts this year will have the great honour of hosting and event that has not been held for over a century, the Triwizard Tournament!"

A stunned silence descended on the hall. Several of the Slytherins and handful of other students with parents of importance smiled knowingly. Muggle-born and raised students looked confused. Then the Weasley twins said "You're joking!"and laughter filled the hall. Even Dumbledore chuckled.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er - but maybe this is not the time...no..." said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament...well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Well that's comforting" Elara muttered. Students around the hall were whispering excitedly, clearly unaffected by the deaths of competitors form centuries ago.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

Students were getting more excited by the second, several of them announcing to their friends in hushed tones that they were going for it. One excited first year at the Gryffindor table seemed to have decided that this was how he was going to earn his glory in Hogwarts.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Elara, Harry and Draco rose from their table along with the rest of their house and students and began to stream out of the hall. The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were ascending the grand staircase while the Hufflepuffs were ambling down a corridor straight ahead, but the Slytherins immediately turned left and descended the stairs down to the dungeons. They were all sleepy and therefore didn't say much other then goodnight when they reached their common room under the lake, Harry and Draco heading off to the room they shared and Elara stumbling to her bed with Tracy, her own best friend and roommate. With there being lots of space under the lake the Slytherins got the luxury of two people to a room. This resulted in a lot of rooms and dark corridors, but it was better then the towers were the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were crammed with 10 or more students in their dormitories. Magic allowed for plenty of space, but still it was nicer not to have to deal with so many other people.

While the first years sat in the common room listening to Professor Snape lecture them on the expectations of being in Slytherin, the older students collapsed into bed, trying to rest enough in preparation for the week ahead.

 **Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The first month of school passed as the students mostly expected it to. The excitement for the tournament hung in the air, but with little happening towards it until the foreign schools arrived the students found themselves wrapped up in the typical day to day business. They went to class, did homework, served punishments for not doing homework, sat around the lake on weekends while the weather was still nice, hung out in the common room avoiding their homework and sat in the Great Hall eating meals with their friends, glad to be back at school with all their friends. As September rolled to October the summer officially ended and autumn seemed more like winter as the weather turned bitterly cold and freezing rain pelted down on them at least twice a week. It made potions lessons pretty miserable, as it was the non-heated part of the castle therefore the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs spent their lessons with numb hands and feet and chilled bones. The Slytherin's managed alright, with their common rooms being in the dungeons it was an essential skill to learn a self-warming charm in your first winter of the first year if you wanted to go home for Christmas with all your fingers and toes.

Elara, Draco and Harry settled into their usual patterns of life at school. They'd been a close trio since their sorting, somewhat before really, as Draco and Elara being cousins had been "best friends" so to speak since birth, and they'd met with Harry frequently growing up as both their mothers were cousins of Harry's Godfather and had brought him over mostly so Narcissa could make sure he was being dressed properly and taught the pureblood traditions expected of an heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Black. Harry and Draco had naturally become the "best friends" of the three when they came to Hogwarts, sharing interests and groups and getting into trouble together. Elara had gravitated towards other young girls her age, but no matter what they had stayed their little trio, three close friends. LeStrange, Malfoy and Potter. The elite of Slytherin house, of Hogwarts.

Towards the end of October excitement for the tournament began to stir up once more as they prepared for the arrival of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. They began to speculate over which Hogwarts students would put themselves forward and which of those was likely to be picked. This was the topic for conversation between Elara, Harry and Draco as they left their Potions class on a Thursday afternoon. They turned the corner and walked along the passage to the common room, discussing which of the seventh year Slytherin's was the best contender.

"I'm telling you, if we have any hope at all it's with Angela Nott or Sebastian Caren" Harry said as they gave the password and entered the common room. They crossed the room towards the fireplace, claiming one of the sofas in the warm glow. They were nearly impossible to get on any other day as people were desperate for the seats nearest the fire to hold all evening. That was the good thing about having potions last lesson, because it took all the other students longer to get to the common room after the bell rang.

"Nah, Angela might be good with her wand but she hasn't got the nerve to pull it off. She'd freeze when something big came at her and it would cost her dearly" Draco shook his head as they pulled out their transfiguration books and parchment, quill and ink in order to start on the essay that Professor McGonagall had set them that morning on cross-species transformations. Elara didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation that they'd already had three times that week and began to get on with her homework while the boys pressed their quills to parchment but wrote nothing as they continued their debate.

"Fit though" Harry smirked "And Caren is hands down the best contender from Slytherin house, whatever you say"

"Fine" Draco conceded "But to be perfectly honest he's hardly the best at Hogwarts. I reckon we're gonna have to hand it to another house for this one." He looked positively pained by the idea.

"So long as it's not a Gryffindor" Harry said darkly. This earned him a laugh and a bemused look.

"Weren't your parents in Gryffindor?" Draco asked. A weary look crossed his face and he shifted uncomfortably. Harry scarcely talked about his parents, not even with his best friends. He only occasionally spoke about them with Sirius and Remus.

"Well yeah. But look at Sirius. He's a Gryffindor and thats proof enough that they're a bunch of reckless nutters" Harry laughed, but it sounded forced. Draco realised he didn't like this line of conversation and moved away from it.

"Diggory is going for it - everyone says he would be the best for it" Draco said, somewhat disgruntle.

"Well he's okay, even if he is a puff" Harry shrugged. "I'll be interested in who Durmstrang offers. They're into the Dark Arts I heard"

"Please" Draco scoffed "Karkaroff likes to think he knows some dark magic that he teaches to his students, but really all he does is make extremes of pureblood prejudices" He narrowed his eyes.

"Like how?"

"Doesn't accept Muggle-borns" Elara said, not looking up from her essay. "With the idea they are unworthy or somethin"

"Oh right" Harry seemed troubled by this. Conversations about muggles were always dangerous territory in Slytherin house, even among your closest friends. They could get ugly quite quickly with the mix of half-bloods with muggle or muggle-born parents and the purebloods whose families had old prejudices.

A moment later the silence was broken as Elara got to her feet. She had only written a paragraph and a half of her essay and the boys looked at her, their passive expressions changing to those of confusion as she began to fasten her black outdoor cloak around her shoulders.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"For a walk" Elara said, untucking her ponytail from underneath the cloak. Her tone made it clear that she was not inviting them, and her cold expression looked ticked off about something. They weren't sure about what though. "I'll see you at dinner" was all she said before she waltzed out of the common room, her heals clicking on the stone floor.

"What's gotten into her?" Harry mused. Draco shrugged, then with a sigh they both began their essays.

* * *

Thankfully it wasn't raining that afternoon, and the warming charm she had placed on herself earlier kept Elara warm as she crossed the grounds towards the lake. A group of Ravenclaw first years who were stumbling back to the castle from Herbology scurried out of her way when they saw her stormy expression, quite terrified. She was briefly reminded of her mother, the way crowds parted out of fear and respect for her in public.

She'd written to her mother once a week as promised since she came to Hogwarts, as she always did. Her mother's replies had all been fairly brief, detailing that she was well, who she was currently working with and how her work was going. They held no affection, not that they ever did.

As far as her parents were concerned Elara had had a somewhat loveless childhood. It had always been clear that Bellatrix was not the maternal type, as she grew older Elara often questioned why she'd even had a child to begin with. She couldn't remember a time when her mother had ever kissed her goodnight, or hugged her and comforted her when she had had nightmares. Bellatrix hadn't tolerated nightmares. Elara had been taught instead that being frightened would do her no good. That she needed to be so skilled and powerful that she had no need to be frightened. Whenever she had cried her mother would grab her chin, not forcefully, but firmly, and tell her quietly that emotions like this must be internalised, that they thrived off fear and respect and no one feared or respected the weak. Which was always what Elara had done. She never cried. If she was ever scared she ignored it, told herself she was better then what she was afraid of and it could never hurt her, not even if it wanted to. She worked each and everyday to be brilliant, because she knew that the real love her mother showed her was in her pride. And she would do anything to make her proud.

Her father loved her, of course he never really showed it. He was not expected to coddle her or comfort her, he was running their family. But he had always found moments for her, brought her things she would love. Shown his affection in small yet significant ways. He was strong and silent, a man of not many words, so Elara doubted she would ever hear him ever tell her she was loved. She could only assume.

Narcissa was the affectionate one. Draco was her only child, the complications in his birth meaning there would be no others. Elara became the daughter she couldn't have, and she was positively showered in hugs, kisses, words of affection. It was as if Narcissa was attempting to melt away the coldness instilled in Elara from her distant parents. Of course, she had often been able to see the disappointment in her aunts eyes that she had never been compliant nor successful.

Elara tossed these concepts over in her mind as she stalked towards the forest, twirling her eleven inch ebony and unicorn hair wand between her slender fingers, contemplating the world and her place in it. It wasn't something she did particularly often, but now she was mulling it over she was stuck in a funk.

Her shoes weren't particularly suitable for the forest terrain and she turned her ankle over twice, cursing under her breath. The warming charm was wearing off and although she'd only been out of the castle half an hour at most she was considering turning back and attempting another paragraph of her blasted essay before dinner. She felt inexplicably tired, as though the school year was catching up with her even though she'd only been back two months at most.

With a sigh she turned her back to the forest and took a step toward the castle when suddenly a golden flash appeared in the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around to see what it was but suddenly found herself almost knocked right off her feet as a vicious gust of wind ripped through the grounds. Her ponytail was almost torn right from her head as she braced herself against a tree and hid her face in her shoulder. The wind died as quickly as it came, and after a moment of recovering from the shock Elara turned and headed towards the light, which in some insane corner of her mind she thought was the source of the wind. She took an almost tentative step towards where the light had been, for some reason her heart thumping. It had been strange after all, she might be better just walking away. The boys had said that Hagrid had been breeding some vile creatures, and she wasn't keen on finding one that had escaped. Something in her wouldn't turn back, so gripping her wand just in case, she took steps towards where she'd seen the light. She walked through the trees, knuckles clenched. She didn't realise she was holding her breath.

The air seemed too still. The grounds too quiet. Elara didn't like it.

She rounded the corner to see two figures lying still on the ground. They weren't moving but Elara approached cautiously. She had seen the spot they were lying in not five minutes ago and there was no way anyone could have reached it since then without her noticing. She listed every defensive spell she could think of in her head, and then listed every offensive (dangerous) spell her mother had ever taught her.

She was three feet away from the figures, her heart thumping in her chest. I am not afraid she recited in her head I can destroy anything that could hurt me. She wandered if she really had the nerve to do it. She made her features go smooth, not showing that she was even the tiniest bit frightened and preparing to terrify whoever this was. They looked too small to be adults prepared to rage terror on Hogwarts, in fact they were probably just here by accident. But how did they get here? Elara felt less afraid as she thought this over and the situation seemed less suspicious. Then the figures moved.

Elara caught her breath as they steadily got to their feet, looking around them in confusion. She took an involuntary step back. Then they turned around and she got a look at a carrot head with freckles and a bushy haired girl. She sighed in relief and annoyance.

"Weasley and Granger" she just about managed to sneer. "Who'd have thought? Sneaking off for a quick snog were we?"

The two then noticed her presence for the first time, but didn't seem to register what she had said because neither of them blushed or retorted angrily. Instead they stared at her as if they'd never seen her before, looking around them in panic.

"What happened? Where's Harry?" Granger said, looking around her on the ground. "Where the hell are we?"

Elara frowned at them. Now that she had established that there was no danger she was ticked off that these two dumb Gryffindors had freaked her out so much. She was slightly confused by what she was talking about though, she didn't think there was another Harry in the fourth year and she was certain that her Harry had never had a conversation with Hermione Granger, other then to ask her to stop freaking them out before exams.

"He was right with me until that light and then I think I must have passed out" Weasley said, also looking around him. His eyes then landed on Elara properly.

"Okay I don't like that" he muttered, taking a step back.

"What?" Granger snapped irritably. She was clearly quite stressed, she had the same look on her face as she got the week before end of years.

"She looks like Bellatrix LeStrange. Like really like her. We haven't gone back in time have we?" He asked eyes wide, reaching for his wand. Elara raised her eyebrows.

"Who's Bellatrix LeStrange?" Granger asked in exasperation.

"You are joking right?" Both Weasley and Elara spoke at the same time and then glared at each other.

"She's the most formidable Death Eater of all time. She did almost as much damage as You-Know-Who. She was his most loyal" Weasley seemed to shudder at the thought. "She's in Azkaban"

Elara was about to retort that he had lost his mind and how dare he speak such nonsense about her mother, of course she wasn't in Azkaban, when a groan sounded from a few feet away and they all turned to look at the source.

"Harry!" Granger cried, running over to another figure that none of them had noticed due to the shadows cast by the forest in the setting sun until it started moving. Elara frowned. Granger helped the figure to his feet and they stepped into the light.

"But thats…" Elara partially forgot her composure as she stared at the boy, her mouth dropping open. "Impossible" she breathed.

This boy was Harry. There was no question about it. Same face, same messy jet black hair, same green almond shaped eyes behind round framed glasses. But that was impossible. Harry was in the Slytherin common room with Draco, working on McGonagall's essay. He'd been wearing his uniform not these too big Muggle clothes, and he'd been perfectly healthy, without a vicious red cut across his cheek and his arm in a sling.

Then she looked closer. His eyes were a brighter green than her Harry's, his hair was a different cut, he was thinner and scrawnier, and in the middle of his forehead was a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt.

She took a step back. "What?"

"Where are we?" the not Harry asked, blinking rapidly and looking around him. "What happened?" he laid eyes on Elara. "Who's this?"

She stared at him apprehension in her eyes, but managed to rearrange her features into their normal cold expression. "Elara LeStrange"

Weasley jumped a foot, then looked at her suspiciously. "You her cousin or something?"

"No I'm her daughter" she snapped. Weasley looked positively terrified.

"She doesn't have kids" he said. Elara raised her eyebrows.

"Where did you come from?" she asked, deciding to ignore his stupidity.

"We're at Hogwarts." Granger observed. "We were in Professor Moody's office and we knocked over a strange glass thing. Then there was this light everywhere and we were in the air and then it all went black and we woke up here."

"Professor Moody?" Elara asked, eyebrows raised. Any higher and they'd wind up in her hairline.

"Defence professor" Harry said shortly.

"I see. I think you've all gone mad." Elara said haughtily. But she seemed like she didn't really believe that. Then she mused quietly, staring at Harry "I just saw you in our common room"

"Our common room?" Harry questioned in disbelief, eyes glancing over Elara's green and silver tie. "I'm in Gryffindor"

Elara's eyes widened. Then she laughed. A laugh that hadn't quite lost the chill that it picked up after a summer with her mother. It made the three shiver.

"Guys its winter" Granger suddenly said, grabbing both boys by the arm and looking quite alarmed.

"So…?" Elara was baffled.

"It was July before" Weasley said in a hoarse voice.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry muttered. Elara was beginning to wonder the same thing, and her suspicions were moving further from Weasley, Granger and Harry having lost their minds. She noted how Granger's teeth were a lot smaller then the buckteeth she had seen on her at lunchtime. And Weasley looked a couple centimetres taller. She took a step back from them. Maybe she could just turn away from these three, return to her common room, finish her homework and go to dinner with Draco and Harry like nothing had happened. Pretend she'd never seen them and stay out of it.

"Dumbledore!" Granger turned and virtually shouted in her face. "Is there Dumbledore?"

"Well of course" Elara rolled her eyes.

"Take us to him!" Weasley all but shouted. Elara stiffened and stuck her chin out.

"I don't take orders Weasley!" She bristled. He huffed, Granger looked ready to combust from her frustration.

"Please." Harry said softly.

Elara tried to sneer, but it was half-hearted. Then after a moment she curtly nodded her head, before turning her heal so that her cloak whipped around her and strode towards the castle, the three visitors running to keep up.

So much for not getting involved.

 **Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The sun was just setting as they climbed the front steps of the castle and went into the entrance hall. Harry, Granger and Weasley were beginning to shiver, dressed for summer. They glanced around them, almost surprised to find everything as it should be. The entrance hall was filled with students streaming into dinner, so Elara silently took them through the shadows on the wall opposite the doors to the Great Hall and the hourglasses showing the house points. Ravenclaw was in the lead.

Stood almost invisible at the bottom of the grand staircase, Elara drew a sharp intake of breath as a familiar bushy haired girl with large front teeth dressed in Gryffindor robes came down the stairs talking with her best friends Georgina Frost and Miriam Short. She whipped around to check the other Hermione was still there, which she was, gawking at her counterpart. Sure enough a moment later Ron Weasley followed with Gregory Richards and Neville Longbottom.

"This is weird" He muttered, shuddering.

"Where am I?" Harry whispered. Elara pointed across the hall to where Harry and Draco were coming up from the dungeons. "Right…" Harry had a strange look of horror and revulsion on his face. When the coast cleared Elara lead the way up the grand stairs and turned left down a corridor. After a couple more trick doors and staircases they came across a teacher walking towards them. He had just come out of the Defence Against the Dark Art teacher's office.

"Good evening Miss LeStrange" he said, unsmiling but not unfriendly. He was youngish, with balding brown hair and a familiar face to the other three.

"Evening Professor Quirrell' Elara said politely, stepping out of his path. There were three gasps from behind her.

"Shouldn't you four be on your way to dinner?" he asked, looking over them. Then he frowned. "Potter, Weasley, Granger, why aren't you in uniform?"

The three newcomers gaped, finding themselves unable to form coherent sentences as they faced a man they had seen die three years ago.

"Well…"

"We…"

"Er…"

Professor Quirrell quickly grew impatient. "Well five points from Slytherin and ten from Gryffindor. And make sure you change before dinner" He made to stride away but Elara caught him first.

"Professor! Sorry sir, but do you know if the Headmaster is taking dinner in the Great Hall tonight or is he in his office? Only I have a rather urgent matter to discuss with him."

The teacher frowned. "I believe he is in his office LeStrange, as he has had a meeting with Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman about the tournament. You may be able to catch him as they leave, if you really need to."

"Thank you sir!" She called, before taking off in the direction of the Headmaster's office. Weasley, Granger and other Harry followed, and they only stopped when they reached the Gargoyle.

"That was- that was…" Harry bent over breathless, then coughed and straightened. "That was Quirrell!"

"Yeah…?" Elara replied almost questionably.

"But he's-" Harry was swiftly cut off by Hermione.

"What's the password?"

"Well if students knew there wouldn't be much point in having one would there?" Elara snapped. She turned towards the Gargoyle. "Excuse me, I really need to speak with Professor Dumbledore. It's sort of an emergency. Is he available?"

The statue didn't reply, but a moment later it moved aside and the four teenagers climbed the winding staircase. They reached the door and Elara knocked three times. The door swung open and she stepped inside.

"Miss LeStrange" Dumbledore sounded surprised to see her, but smiled pleasantly all the same. "Can I help you?"

"Yes sir," She stepped forward and the others filed in behind her. Then she explained what had happened by the forest and seeing their counterparts going into dinner. By the end of the other threes' explanation of events, Dumbledore was frowning.

"What was this object you broke?" He asked thoughtfully, peering at them over the rim of his half moon spectacles.

Weasley shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "It was a strange sort of hourglass in a orb. It fell into another mirror sort of thing, and the sands from inside them mixed" he explained, staring at his shoes.

"Hmmm" Dumbledore pressed his finger tips together with his elbows on the desk. "Well I think I have some sort of explanation as to where you came from."

"Yes?" They leaned forward eagerly.

"I believe you come from an alternative timeline or universe, where things are slightly different due to a certain change, or changes. The time sands from the orb and the dimension sands from the mirror mixing resulted in your being brought from your timeline, to ours." He said carefully. "It has been reported on occasion in history."

"But how to we get home!" Granger asked desperately. "We already exist here, it's not like we can just adopt our lives"

"No" Dumbledore agreed. "But I believe that you will be returned to your own timeline when our time reaches the point you were taken from. In your case that would be…?"

"The last day of the school year" Harry said. "We have to go through this bloody year again?" He sounded furious.

"I'm afraid so" Dumbledore said quietly. Harry looked ready to argue with him. But then he slumped back in the chair he was sat in and said nothing. Weasley and Granger both looked dejected as well. "I shall have to disguise your appearances and you shall have to adopt new names, as you say, you already exist here."

The three nodded tiredly, as though they thought arguing about the situation was pointless. Elara thought they had all given in rather too easily. Dumbledore waved his wand in front of each of their faces, until soon they were unrecognisable as themselves. Granger's hair was now sleek and a slightly darker brown, her nose longer, her eyes blue and slightly more cat-like, and her cheekbones were higher. Weasley was shorter, rounder, with curling brown hair, slightly darker skin, no freckles, a wider face, and green eyes. Harry now was fuller, blonde hair, brown eyes and a different sort of face, his arm in working condition and the scratch on his cheek gone. Dumbledore hesitated over the scar.

"This is unusual" he commented.

"Voldemort gave it to me" Harry frowned.

"I beg your pardon. I don't believe I recognise the name" Dumbledore said politely. The three froze.

"What?" Granger asked with a shaking voice.

"But he, he, he's the Dark Lord! You-Know-Who!" Weasley protested. Elara rolled her eyes.

"Well clearly we don't-know-who" She drawled "He doesn't exist in this world." Dumbledore raised a white eyebrow delicately while Harry gaped. Then he flicked his wand and the scar disappeared.

"Names?"

"Well I guess I'll be James" Harry shrugged "James… Dudley" He shuddered. Elara raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting.

"I suppose I'll be Emma" Hermione said. "That's my mother's name. And I could use her maiden name, Rose?"

"Wouldn't that be a bit weird for the you in this world" Elara pointed out. Hermione winced.

"Alright. Emma… Evans? Harry's mum's maiden name?" There was no objection to this.

"Can I be Viktor Krum?" Ron asked excitedly.

"We have him as well you idiot" Elara said scathingly.

"Oh" Ron wilted "Then I'll be… Bill, like my brother. Bill Harrison?" This was also suitable so Dumbledore noted it down.

"Now then" he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "That is sorted. I believe there is room in the Slytherin dorms. Since Miss LeStrange is already aware of your situation it seems suitable that you can be near her so that she can help you with your way around."

"WHAT?" All three shouted.

"Stay with the Slytherins?" Weasley looked as though Dumbledore had just suggested he eat a bowl of toad slime.

"I'm afraid there is no space in the Gryffindor dorms" He said regretfully. "And they are a pleasant group"

"But I'm Muggle-born!" Hermione squeaked.

"Well I think the story we are going to tell is that you are three students from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America, come to spend the year in England in order to witness the Triwizard Tournament." Dumbledore said, mulling this over. "Miss Granger, or should I say Miss Evans, can claim to be a half-blood and your story will not be questioned. I will cast a small enchantment that means people will not ask questions about you, and just accept you as another member of the school."

"Why would they ask questions?" Harry asked stupidly.

"Like why you have an English accent. Or have a wand?" Elara said somewhat impatiently. Harry decided it would be best not to press the matter further, she looked quite scary.

"But I don't want to spend the year with a load of people who are insulting muggles and muggle-borns" Hermione sounded upset.

"Why would you have to? Honestly, what do you three think Slytherin's are like?" Elara asked incredulously.

"Prejudice" They all said. Elara breathed deeply through her nose, as though trying to reign in her temper.

"I promise you, no one in Slytherin says anything against muggles unless they want to start a fight. It's not politically correct." She said firmly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other doubtfully, but were too tired to argue. Professor Dumbledore conjured up three sets of Slytherin uniforms and school books and supplies, before jovially dismissing them. Elara lead them to a classroom at waited outside while they changed. A few minutes later they emerged dressed in the new uniforms and glamour, looking distinctly uncomfortable. Elara wandered what she'd done that deserved getting lumbered with these three.

"Well then" She sighed. "Best come meet the Slytherins"

* * *

She lead them across the Great Hall over to the Slytherin table and slipped into the seat beside her Harry. After two hours in the presence of a boy that was almost Harry but not quite, she was immensely relieved to have her best friend put his arm around her and squeeze her.

"Erm, who's this?" Harry asked as 'James', 'Emma' and 'Bill' took a seat opposite, wearily looking around them. They kept glancing behind them at the Gryffindor table.

"This is James, Emma and Bill" Elara said, pulling potatoes onto her plate. "They've come to Hogwarts to observe the Tournament, from Ilvermorny."

"Oh" Harry said. "Nice to meet you." He nodded at them. The new arrivals were greeted politely by the other Slytherins, and just as Dumbledore said no one seemed interested in any details regarding who they were and where they came from. 'James' spent most of dinner with his eyes fixed on Harry. Namely on the lack of scar on his forehead. 'Emma' was staring in bewilderment at the sheer number of students around her. 'Bill' just seemed very happy with his food.

After dinner Elara rose and gestured for the three 'others' to follow her. To their surprise Malfoy and Harry also followed as Elara lead them across the Entrance Hall and up the grand staircase. No one said anything as they walked the almost empty corridors to the seventh floor corridor, where Elara began to pace in front of a tapestry of some madman attempting to teach trolls ballet. To Harry, Hermione and Ron's astonishment as door appeared and the six of them quickly slipped inside.

"Whats going on Elara?" Draco asked as soon as the door swung shut behind them. They were in a pleasant little room, with windows that allowed lots of light in despite the fact it was dark outside and there was no view from them. Two curved sofas stood facing each other in the middle of the room with a coffee table in the middle that held six steaming goblets.

"I lied - these three aren't from America" she said, slightly breathlessly. She flopped, somehow still elegantly, onto one of the sofas and her two friends sat beside her.

"Um, LeStrange…" 'James' said, looking at her warningly as he and the other two gingerly sat on the opposite sofa. It was remarkably comfy.

"Where are they from then?" Harry asked in confusion. "And what are they doing here?"

"They're from an alternate dimension. Harry, this boy - he's you!" With a flick of her wand Elara removed the glamour Dumbledore had placed and Harry was left staring at a shorter, scrawnier version of himself with a terrible haircut and brighter green eyes. He started violently, spilling the contents of the goblet that was in his hand.

"What the f-" he found himself slightly lost for words.

"These two are Granger and Weasley" Elara continued, whipping off their glamour as well. Draco had never looked so confused in his life.

"I don't understand" He said.

"Neither do we" Weasley muttered. He glared at Draco. "I don't understand why we have to hang out with this ferret"

"In what way is he a ferret?" Harry snapped in defence of his friend. Weasley looked slightly scared.

"Well, he" Ron spluttered a bit "He's a slimy git"

"How?" Elara demanded. Ron looked at his Harry for support.

"Well, in our world he is" he said slowly, still staring at his counterpart. "Where's your scar?"

"Well I don't have one" Harry said like it was obvious. "Never seen one like yours before, how'd you get it?"

"Like I said, You-Know-Who hit me with the killing curse and gave it to me when I was a baby" Harry said slightly impatiently.

Elara, Harry and Draco stared at him.

"That's impossible" Draco said scornfully. "No one can survive the killing curse. Clue's in the name."

Elara however looked only doubtful. Draco stared at the tiny frown in between her eyebrows as though she was trying to figure out how it was possible.

"You're not actually going to entertain that idea are you LeStrange?" He asked impatiently. Elara shrugged, her brow clearing.

"My mother has some theories. Not particularly thought out ones mind." she said vaguely, leaning back in her seat, sipping from her goblet while examining the others over the rim of it. They shifted uncomfortably.

"So you're suggesting that your mother is Bellatrix LeStrange because she somehow managed to reproduce, that she is not incarcerated for unspeakable crimes against humanity, that you have never heard of the Dark Lord, and that Slytherin's aren't prejudiced slimy snakes and have no problems with Muggles or Muggle-borns." Ron said in heated disbelief. Draco, Harry and Elara all looked at each other in bemusement, wondering what sort of world these people came from exactly.

"I don't know what your issue with my mother is" Elara said icily "But in our world it is not wise to insult her to anyone, least of all me. Her work is all perfectly accepted by society and the Ministry even if it is of a somewhat questionable nature." She raised her chin again, looking down at the three visitors with her charcoal black eyes, making them shiver. There was a silence. "As to Muggles, those prejudices died out long ago, and in those families that they didn't people are wise enough to keep their opinions to themselves."

Draco seemed to be in deep thought over this. "As I understand it, the Muggle world is about a hundred years more advanced of the wizarding world in the name of traditions and customs, am I right?" He looked at Hermione, who nodded carefully. "Well the wizarding world is structured by our traditions. Many of our families believe they don't have the right to magic, but there are laws against muggle baiting and discrimination and all that now, the Ministry won't hold for that sort of prejudice anymore. The reason Slytherins are so weary of them are because you come to our world with your so called "modern" ideas from the muggle world, about marriage and inheritance and families and slavery and criticise it, say it need to change, but most do not bother to look back and see how these customs are what built our world, and what currently hold it together." He stared at them with an open, honest expression on his face that they had never seen in their world. Hermione slowly nodded her head, inclined to believe him despite it going against her better judgement. Draco tried for an almost smile, which she timidly returned.

"What sort of crimes against humanity is Bellatrix supposed to have committed anyway?" Harry asked mystified.

"She tortured the Longbottoms to insanity. You-Know-Who's most loyal supporter" other Harry mumbled. Ron and Hermione gasped at this news.

"I had no idea" Hermione whispered in horror, hands clasped over her mouth and tears springing to her eyes. Elara looked slightly unsettled by this news, as expected of someone who had just heard someone say their mother was apparently capable of such a thing. But there was some further doubt in her eyes as well, as though she thought maybe her mother really could do it.

"Our Longbottoms are fine" Harry said, only really to break the silence, not because he thought it would help. "Neville is Weasley's best mate" He nodded at Ron who seemed surprised, but said nothing.

"So Aunt Bella is supposed to be the loyal to this You-Know-Who?" Draco raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Who is he anyway?"

The three others all rubbed their temples. "Are you sure you don't have him?" Harry asked wearily. "Because he's pretty evil and if you're all part of a load of idiots who are pretending like he doesn't exist then-"

"We're not pretending anything" Elara said impatiently "We have literally never heard of him before. You don't need to worry!"

Harry looked extremely agitated however. "No - he's really dangerous. He has to be, I mean I can feel it! Lord Voldemort!" He looked at Elara and Draco and Harry who all had blank expressions. "The Dark Lord" still blank. "Tom Riddle!"

Elara, who had just taken a large sip of her drink began to cough violently as she very suddenly choked. Harry, Hermione and Ron leaned forward in alarm while Draco thumped her on the back. "Tom Riddle is the most evil dark wizard of your world" she rasped when she could finally breath again.

"Yes…" Ron said.

"Why, do you know him?" Harry asked nervously. "Quick you have to tell Dumbledore!"

"But he's," Elara was still spluttering. "He's not dangerous or anything. Well I mean" She looked doubtful of her own conviction and after some thought said, 'Well he's definitely not an evil dark lord."

"How do you know him?" Harry sounded disturbed by the thought.

"He's my mums friend" Elara said. All the others now looked positively terrified and had their wands clutched in their hands, seemingly ready to jump to their feet and go do something, even though they weren't exactly sure what that was. "Oh not like that! She's not a death whatever you call it. He expressed an interest in her research. He's done various projects of similar basis himself, but nothing in practice…" she snarled as the others got to their feet once more. "I've met him a few times. He's kinda old I believe." She sighed, then yawned. "It's getting late, we've established we are traditional, not evil and there is no dark lord here. Now I believe we need to get to bed, and I still haven't written my essay, or done any of my other homework for that matter" She rose, and the others took it as a sign that the conversation was closed. They stood as well.

"One more thing" other Harry said as they turned to leave the room. He looked at his counterpart. "If there's no dark lord here and you're not scarred, then your, our, parents must be alive right?" There was an eagerness and desperation in his voice that made Draco and Elara's hearts hurt just a little bit. For a moment, their Harry looked unbearably sad.

"I'm afraid not." He said quietly. "We may not have a Dark Lord, but accidents still happen." Then he turned and left the room very quickly, Draco and Elara looking at each other in concern.

"What happened?" Hermione whispered, her arm around her Harry.

"No one really knows" Draco said emotionlessly. "But rest assured that they are definitely dead."

With that Elara made the glamour return and the five of them followed Harry down to the Slytherin common room. Not another word was spoken that night.

 **Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Harry and Ron were pleased to discover in the next few days that having already done fourth year quite recently meant they found classes very easy. It was painful to have to repeat essays they'd struggled so much with the first time round but the praise they received from teachers was unexpected and a nice change from the glares they usually received that told them no one was fooled by their trying to disguise Hermione's words as their own. Dumbledore's spell had done its work, no one really questioned them other then to ask them their names when they came to Hogwarts.

The three from the alternate timeline were fascinated by the changes to their own similar world, still unsettled and not entirely convinced by the news that this world was without a Lord Voldemort, especially Harry who had just witnessed his return and was sure he could still feel him. Aside from that, one of the most glaring differences was the sheer number of people at Hogwarts. Their year back home had only around 40 students, therefore they got a shock entering the centre of the school on their first full day in their new identities to the hundreds and hundreds of students, classmates they recognised but more that they didn't.

"How many students are their in your year?" Hermione hissed across the breakfast table, looking around her far more intently then she had the night before. The Great Hall didn't feel any tighter for space but their had to be two or three times the number of students.

Elara, Harry and Draco frowned at each other as they tried to calculate an answer. "I suppose about 146, give or take. But thats going by their being about a thousand Hogwarts students and dividing it by seven." Harry shrugged eventually.

Hermione seemed perplexed by this, but the look of confusion had cleared from her face as they headed to their first lesson and replaced by a rather troubled look. Their Harry and Ron found it slightly confusing how her face was almost unrecognisable yet her expressions were pure Hermione Granger. It was somewhat unsettling.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, almost friendly, apparently noticing something was wrong as well.

"It's just the numbers…" Hermione said distantly. "The numbers. Their are only forty or so students in our year at home"

"Forty?" Elara said in alarm. "What about all the others?"

"Thats the thing" Hermione said with a heavy sigh. 'If you don't have a You-Know-Who then you didn't have the war. Most Hogwarts age students are those born during the war. And most of these children didn't exist because their parents were either dead, prevented from meeting and getting together by circumstance or too afraid to have children in such uncertain times."

The others looked chilled at this thought, the reality of so many lives being physically effected by the existence of the Dark Lord.

The three visitors were also unsettled by the presence of Professor Quirrell. He appeared to be a far better teacher in this world then he was back in their first year, no fear and stammer, simply fairly decent teacher who kinda knew his stuff. Still, Harry especially spent the entirety of his defence lessons on edge with his wand gripped tight in his hand and his eyes fixed on Quirrell, following it intently around the classroom and he explained curses, spells, hexes and jinxes. Every time he was asked a question he'd jumped about a foot in the air and on one occasion sparks even flew out of the end of his wand and the class wasn't sure whether or not to laugh. Harry, or James as they knew him, had drawn perhaps more attention then they would have liked, due to his constant being on edge and stand offish attitude. No one really knew what to make of him. 'Emma' and 'Bill' were less conspicuous.

Hermione buried herself away in the library to read up on the history of dimension travel and several other areas of forgotten and untested magic. While she found herself homesick, now separated from her parents for at least another eight months and not having seen them since the start of her own fourth year, still she found a part of herself slightly thrilled at the opportunities it presented. Here was an entirely unique opportunity to discover a world made different by a single factor. It was both unsettling and fascinating how much the Dark Lord's presence had affected their own world. While the boys moaned about it, Hermione was secretly delighted to be able to take all her classes again and redo the assignments. She saw it as an excellent way to get ahead in her O. , going over all the content a second time so she was certain she knew it well enough. Funnily enough her Harry and Ron didn't find it so useful, rather dull and time consuming, but with them being a year ahead of the others Hermione finally found herself with all the free time in the world to read up on everything she wanted.

Ron did not find his knew environment particularly fascinating, nor the opportunity to do everything again very stimulating, and spent most his time holed up in the Slytherin common room playing chess with anyone who was willing. He was far more weary of the old pureblood families' children and the Slytherins then the other two, not so able to let go misconceptions and prejudices and strong feelings he'd had to people in his own world, however with there being three times as many students Slytherin then there had been in their world, he found plenty of people to get along with in time, having no previous opinions on most of them. The three steadily fell into the rhythm of their strange new world, cautious and weary, but managing.

Other Harry, Draco and Elara were unsettled by their three new companions. Harry was unnerved by his counterpart, and the three of them found it strange how they now guided and assisted versions of Granger and Weasley although the week before the idea would have been ridiculous. However they were Slytherins, from well bred and important families and of course they did not show it, therefore took all of it in their stride never to show the outside world how thrown by the turn of events they really were.

Harry was greatly disturbed by his counterpart, not that he let it on so much. He didn't like how he was jumpy and angry and constantly on edge, as though he never got enough sleep. He was haunted by something, yet Harry couldn't understand that. He'd also lost their parents when he was only a baby, what was so different?

Draco and Ron constantly found themselves butting heads, with Ron being unable to let go of his feelings towards Malfoy in his own world and offending Draco by making his dislike very apparent. Amongst the group of six there was a lot of tension from this problem, therefore Draco and Ron came to a mutual understanding to just ignore each other unless it was entirely necessary.

In fact, Draco, Elara and their Harry were trying to go about their lives as though the three others had never appeared, which proved to be rather difficult. Neither Harry, Ron or Hermione having any affection for the three Slytherins, yet they clung to them like life lines. Despite claiming of how awful a world with Voldemort existing, they seemed to be completely incapable of navigating a world without him.

Finally on Halloween morning, the day Hogwarts were expecting the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, Professor McGonagall approached the Slytherin table as Harry, Draco, Elara and 'James', 'Bill' and 'Emma' were eating breakfast. Hermione and Draco were engaged in an incredibly awkwardly polite academic discussion, while Ron scowled and Slytherin Harry watched in amusement. 'James' sat with his head in his hands, looking as though he hadn't slept properly in weeks. Everyone was trying to ignore this fact, as Harry, Draco and Elara didn't really want to get involved with whatever was going on and Hermione and Ron had no idea how to help him deal with the nightmares. Elara was currently ignoring her breakfast and everything going on around her with a cold look of disinterest and making notes in her potions book, occasionally glancing up at 'James'. They all looked up as Professor McGonagall stopped in front of them.

"Good morning Professor" Draco said politely as she pursed her lips at them.

"Hmm" was all she said. The only one of the three she really liked was Harry as his parents had been in her house. She felt the other two were responsible for having distracted him from his rightful place as a lion, and was unsettled by their cool collectiveness and cold stares. "Misters Dudley and Harrison, Miss Evans." The three blinked after a moments hesitation at the sound of their new names. "Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with you in his office immediately. You are excused from your lessons." She gave them a look, and a moment later they scrambled to their feet to follow her out of the Great Hall.

Harry, Draco and Elara watched them go, and then breathed a heavy sigh of relief in unison.

"I think this is the first time we've been away from them since they arrived." Harry said with a disbelieving laugh.

Elara smiled, only a ghost of a smile, one only Harry and Draco probably detected in her black eyes and the corner of her mouth. She jumped to her feet from the table, swinging her bag onto her shoulder. "Well I dunno about you, but I'm not spending it cooped up in Charms. Anyone for a walk around the lake?"

Both boys looked at each other in delight, perfectly ready to embrace an morning outside without three intense counterparts and no lessons. They too jumped to their feet and followed Elara out of the Great Hall, across the entrance hall, down the front steps and out into the cool October morning air. With three flicks of their wands in perfect time, they cast warming charms on themselves and headed towards the lake.

Elara's stony face broke into a wide grin, the first proper smile since the other's arrival, throwing her arms around her boys' shoulders, laughing out loud. She hadn't really realised just how tense the other Harry, Ron and Hermione's presence had made her, but it was such a relief to be away from them at last.

They collapsed at the foot of the large tree by the lake, hidden from the main paths leading from the school to the greenhouses and Hagrid's cabin where students would be heading to class in a few minutes.

"Free at last" Harry grinned, lazily flicking his wand to allow pebbles to float around his head. He was always charming things, making them fly around and dance and arrange themselves. Charms was his forte, that and Arithmancy. Draco had Potions and Transfiguration. Elara had Ancient Runes and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Well, she had always seemed far more invested in the offensive rather then the defensive. Raised to be ruthless, that's what she was. Most the teachers were terrified of her, many of them remembering the days that Bellatrix Black had graced their halls, causing damage in a brilliant yet terrifying way. Still, all three were brilliant at their subject, helped each other and leaned towards what they were interested in.

"God their presence is so heavy" Elara shuddered. "They're constantly terrified, like all the time."

"This Voldywhat has got to be pretty terrifying considering the way they act about it" Draco mused, rubbing his hands together. Elara wrinkled her nose.

"I just don't picture it, Tom Riddle, Dark Lord of all" She pulled out a book, leaning out of the tree next to Harry, resting her head on his shoulder.

"What's he like?" Harry asked. Elara shrugged.

"Old, clever, mysterious." She said indifferently. "He was raised by Muggles though, so I don't understand the whole wanting to wipe them out thing. But like you say, he's gotta be twisted in their world to have put them in the state they're in."

A silence fell again, all of them shivering in discomfort as they simultaneously thought of the screams that came from Harry's bed each night. Endless begging for someone named Cedric, and constant repeating of "he's back, he's back" into the empty night.

"Well, the tournament should be good right?" Harry said, trying to lighten the mood. Draco and Elara shrugged.

"I've had enough of foreign wizards after the World Cup to be honest" Draco sniffed, making the others laughed.

"Doesn't that defeated the whole point?" Elara rolled her eyes. "International cooperation. Besides, Viktor Krum attends Durmstrang. Neither of you shut up about him and those Wonky Feints after the match."

This opened another Quidditch conversation, and for the next 50 minutes they were able to forget about their freaky visitors.


End file.
